Vincennes

This is where Indiana had its beginnings: where Chief Tecumseh walked, where the first governor of the Indiana Territory and ninth president of the United States lived and worked, and where troops mustered for the Battle of Tippecanoe.

School Group Tours

Vincennes State Historic Sites Tour - Historical characters will guide you through the buildings and sites. Students will discover the early years of Vincennes and Indiana by learning about early education at the Jefferson Academy, beginnings of Indiana law at the Territory Capitol Building, and experience the art of printing at the Elihu Stout Print Shop. Grades K-12.

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About Vincennes

Founded in 1732 when what is now the Midwest belonged to France, Vincennes is Indiana's oldest city. France lost the area to Great Britain, which in turn lost it to the Americans in the Revolutionary War. Congress created the Indiana Territory in 1800, with Vincennes as its capital. The new territory was much larger than the State of Indiana today, including what is now Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and part of Minnesota.

It was at Vincennes that Governor William Henry Harrison and others made decisions that influenced the future of the whole Midwest. Westward migration meant conflict with Native Americans who had a different view of land ownership and use. It meant enormous land sales, the creation of new counties and, later, new states out of the Indiana Territory.

INDIANA TERRITORY CAPITAL
In 1805, Indiana Territory went to the second stage of government and elected representatives. From its very beginning, Indiana had a bicameral (two house) legislature. A Legislative Council (or Senate) of five men used the upstairs room, while the nine-man House of Representatives used the downstairs room. The "Red House" was one of three buildings rented by the legislature from 1805 to 1813 and was the meeting place of the legislature in 1811, after the Battle of Tippecanoe. Built in 1805 as a tailor shop, the "Red House" is a small two-story building, its heavy timber frame held together with wooden pegs. In 1813, the territorial government moved to Corydon, which became Indiana's first state capital when Indiana became a state in 1816.

JEFFERSON ACADEMY
The Jefferson Academy tells the story of early public education. Founded in 1801 by Governor Harrison, it was the first school of higher learning in Indiana. In 1806, it became Vincennes University. Thomas Jefferson and William Henry Harrison are the only two presidents who have established colleges. The headmaster of the school was the village priest, Father Jean Francois Rivet, former professor of Latin at the Royal College of Limoges, France. Classes took place in the main room of the church rectory, with subjects such as Latin, geometry and geography.

ELIHU STOUT PRINT SHOPElihu Stout's Print Shop represents the power of communication in westward expansion. As the country expanded westward, the distribution of information was crucial to the formation of states. In 1804, Gov. William Henry Harrison brought Elihu Stout to Vincennes to print the laws of the Indiana territory. Stout also printed the laws the legislature enacted to govern the new Louisiana Purchase lands. In July 1804, Stout started the Indiana Gazette, the first newspaper in Indiana, which ran for 41 years. Previously, Stout had been a journeyman printer with the Kentucky Gazette in Lexington, KY.

FORT KNOX II
Fort Knox II Site was an important military outpost used by the United States Army from 1803 to 1813. Captain Zachary Taylor strengthened Fort Knox with a stockade in 1811. Governor William Henry Harrison "mustered" (assembled) his army at Fort Knox II and marched up the Wabash River to the Battle of Tippecanoe at Prophetstown (near present-day Lafayette, Ind.) on Nov. 7, 1811.

SUGAR LOAF MOUNDS
Sugar Loaf Mound is a natural feature that Late Woodland Indians used as a burial mound around 900 A.D. Travelers heading to Vincennes along the Buffalo Trace from Louisville used it as a landmark. The mound also served as a marker along the Underground Railroad for slaves seeking freedom in the North.

OLD STATE BANK
The Old State Bank helped transform Indiana from a fur-trade to agricultural economy. On Feb. 13, 1834, the Indiana General Assembly chartered the Second State Bank of Indiana, with headquarters in Indianapolis and 12 branches across the state. In addition to Vincennes, the other branches were in Indianapolis, Lawrenceburg, Richmond, New Albany, Madison, Evansville, Bedford, Terre Haute, Lafayette, Fort Wayne and South Bend.

In Vincennes, the bank began business immediately in a rented building located on First Street between Main and Vigo Streets. The State Bank moved into this building upon its completion in November 1838. The bank is in the Greek Revival style, made to look like the front of a Greek temple. The main room of the bank features six fluted columns, more than 30 feet tall, supporting a bell-shaped cupola and a hand-riveted steel vault.

OLD FRENCH HOUSE
Built about 1809, the home of French fur trader Michel Brouillet is an excellent example of a French Creole cottage of the type built by French settlers in the area.